WHAT’S INSIDE
SEPTEMBER 2015
CONTENTS 35
64
47 29
WIN £1,600 WORTH OF PRIZES! TURN TO PAGE 76
67 Who cares?
...We do! At Let’s Knit we understand that nothing is more annoying than errors in knitting patterns. As part of our total commitment to ensuring that your experience of our magazine is as enjoyable as possible, we’re proud to offer THE LET’S KNIT PATTERN PROMISE: • Exclusive patterns featured in Let’s Knit have been professionally checked and reproduced with the utmost care. Updates can be found at www.letsknit.co.uk • Should you encounter any problems we are more than happy to provide support and assistance. Contact us and we will endeavour to respond as soon as possible. By email: support@letsknit. co.uk By telephone: 01206 508622 (office hours only) By post: at the address on page 95(please mark your envelope ‘Support’) (Please note we cannot offer assistance with patterns not published in Let’s Knit)
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PATTERNS 13 Fire Glow A stunning long cardigan by Jo Allport in ember colours 17 Pippa Sister of Jemima, make this adorable doll by Val Pierce 20 Write On Two fun striped pencil cases for stylish school accessories 25 Juniper Berry A casual sweater by Kelly Menzies in Rico yarn 29 Forest Fern Pat Menchini’s jacket has a flattering draped front 32 Quick-knit Cowl Using only knit and purl stitches, Kelly Menzies’ accessory is perfect for the season
47 Sparkling Seas Ocean-inspired socks with glamourous metallic highlights 53 Blackberry Babe A sweet and simple hat and cardigan from SIrdar 59 Nautical Adventure Try six different stitch patterns in this sampler cushion pattern 64 Courtney A chic jumper in luxurious Artesano alpaca yarn 67 Folk Charm Julie Ferguson’s poncho and hat set channel trendy runway style 73 Hare Style Try Swiss darning with Ella Austin’s phone cosy 77 Feline Fun Quick-to-make cat toys including mice, a fish and a ball
35 Autumn Sunrise A cosy set of a hat, cowl and wristlets by Charmaine Fletcher
81 Woodland Explorer A quirky fox headband for teens by Nicola Valiji
39 Violet Haze Easy ribbed mittens with a cabled effect by Helen Ardley
85 Moroccan Jewel Learn new granny square motifs in Sarah Hazell’s cushion
04 www.letsknit.co.uk Contents.indd 1
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WHAT’S INSIDE
This month’s
32
85
FREE GIFT!
39
WIN AN iPAD!
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81 SHOPPING 22 Back to Nature Enjoy our pick of natural fibres and animal-themed treats 56 Strands of Luxury Explore the divine world of silk yarns with our favourites 91 Royal Affair Our favourite Royal purple yarns for posh knits
70 Loving, Giving, Knitting We take a look at knitting for charity and how you can get involved
PEOPLE 50 Stop & Share Catch up with the LK community 98 Last Word We chat to Justyna Kacprzak, author of Dinosaur Amigurumi
FOCUS
IN EVERY ISSUE...
61 Tight Knit Community We chay to Jane Probitts, chair of the WI Craft Committee, in their centenary year 74 British Knitting Awards Vote for your favourite stores and companies in the awards
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Make Hugo the Hedgehog with our sparkly eyelash yarn today!
89 Knit School Practise embroidery techniques to embellish your knitted projects
88 What’s In Store Get the hot gossip from our favourite shops around the UK
8 Let’s Knit Loves Catch up with the latest news and gossip from the knitting universe
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TURN TO PAGE 74
3 Welcome 7 This Month’s Free Gift 10 September is the Month 38 Bookshelf 49 Coming Next Month 52 Tea Break 58 Subscriptions 72 Giveaways 92 Practical Guides 94 Step By Step
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05 Back issues from Jan 2011 onwards are available on the Let’s Knit app! www.letsknit.co.uk Contents.indd 2
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LONG RIBBED CARDIGAN
Fire Glow
EXCLUSIVE TO
Jo Allport’s autumnal cardigan is perfect for the changing seasons
We love the warming colours of this longlength cardi – they remind us of crunching through autumn leaves in the park. The pattern is a variation on rib with added increases and decreases to create an eyelet pattern that looks just like flickering flames.
Make this from £17.50!
meet our
DESIGNER “I love garments that can last through the seasons, so I designed this lovely cardigan with a longer length than usual but with short sleeves. It can be worn with a strappy top and long skirt during the late summer, but has a bit of warmth if the evenings get chilly, or it can be worn through the winter with a long sleeved top, jeans and boots!” JO ALLPORT
13 www.letsknit.co.uk
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DELIGHTFUL KNITTED DOLL
EXCLUSIVE TO
Part one!
Pippa Get ready to meet your little one’s new best friend from Val Pierce meet our
Avid LK fans will remember back in issue 29 (that’s 2010, in case you didn’t know!),
DESIGNER
we had a pattern for a sweet little dolly called Jemima. Introducing her little sister, Pippa! She has bags of knitted charm and is sure to become your tot’s favourite plaything in no time at all. Don’t forget to pick up a copy of our October issue, on sale 4th of September, where we will have the pattern for Pippa’s clothes.
“Take your time embroidering Pippa’s features and making sure you’re happy with the final result – it’s the finishing touches that really make a toy come to life.” VAL PIERCE
17 www.letsknit.co.uk
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SIMPLE STYLISH JUMPER
Win all the yarn to make this jumper on page 76!
EXCLUSIVE TO
Juniper Berry Kelly Menzies’ casual jumper will complete any autumn look Fall is in the air, and for knitters that can only mean one thing: to start making that new season wardrobe! With simple shaping, a two-row pattern repeat, matching sleeves and identical front and back panels, it’s an easy project even for beginner knitters about to embark on their first garment adventure. Keep an eye on your stitch count during the raglan shaping to make sure you have enough stitches to work a full pattern repeat at the end of the row.
meet our
DESIGNER “Don’t be tempted to adapt this pattern and knit it in the round – the pattern will twist out of shape and hang incorrectly. Keep it flat!” KELLY MENZIES
25 www.letsknit.co.uk
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CUTE CROPPED CARDIGAN
EXCLUSIVE TO
Forest Fern
Enjoy simple and elegant knitted fashion thanks to Pat Menchini The days are getting shorter, the greens of summer have been replaced with shades of auburn, and there’s a definite chill in the air... so it’s time to get out those needles and start crafting your first autumn cardi. With its dolman sleeves and stylish collar, this jacket will serve whatever purpose you see fit, from a casual day with friends or a more formal occasion. A great all-rounder!
Up to size 24!
meet our
DESIGNER “This is an all-seasons, unstructured, casual jacket, simple to knit in stocking stitch with an easy textured pattern.” PAT MENCHINI
29 www.letsknit.co.uk
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���� WOOL ACCESSORIES SET
Autumn Sunrise
EXCLUSIVE TO
Get ready for the new season with Charmaine Fletcher’s trio of accessories It’s always nice to feel co-ordinated when you leave the house and this matching hat, cowl and wristlets combo will put you in the right frame of mind. It’s a really simple project which combines moss and stocking stitch, while using the heather effect of the yarn to bring additional texture. Just two skeins of yarn are needed to make the full set, which includes a hat (see overleaf), but if you just want to knit one or two items, read the About the Yarn section for exact quantities.
Knit this set for under £13!
meet our
DESIGNER “The cowl is designed to stand tall like a funnel neck collar and should be worn with the tab and button to correspond with the hat.” CHARMAINE FLETCHER
35 www.letsknit.co.uk
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FUN FINGERLESS MITTENS
Violet Haze
EXCLUSIVE TO
Helen Ardley’s trendy fingerless mittens are perfect for the changeable weather If you love the look of cables but aren’t quite advanced enough to tackle the tricky technique, these toasty mittens achieve a similar effect but with a fraction of the fuss. Using a great value yarn, these are a must-make budget accessory that will take you from the cool autumn mornings through to the frosty winter days and can be layered with long sleeves and gloves for extra warmth.
meet our
DESIGNER “To keep your hands nice and cosy this winter, knit yourself these stylish mittens. The stranding of the stitches on the front is easy to do so you could get these made in a few evenings. Perfect for Christmas presents as well.” HELEN ARDLEY
39 www.letsknit.co.uk
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FEATURE | ON THE ROAD Stroll through Herefordshire’s picturesque villages
Step back in time at Warwick Castle
On the road:
MIDLANDS
Celebrate the yarn shops of the region in our LK nationwide tour!
West Midlands
Sitting Knitting, Sutton Coldfield This converted cottage offers a splendid choice of yarns from stash staples to luxury fibres, including British brands UK Alpaca, Fyberspates and John Arbon. If you don’t
have the internet or a printer, you can buy hard copies of online patterns as part of the Ravelry In-store Sales Program. There’s also a wide range of needles and hooks, and don’t forget to contact the team about their weekly knitting groups. 0121 308 4205, www.facebook.com/sittingknitting
Visit Evesham’s abbey gardens, Worcestershire
Arena Photo UK / Shutterstock.com
Explore the Peak District in Derbyshire
If you’re anything like us, you can’t go away – whether for week, weekend or even a day trip – without visiting a local yarn store. Spanning 11 counties, the Midlands makes up a vast section of the UK and provides plenty of opportunities to boost your crafting stash. We’ve picked a small selection of the many yarn shops, attractions and events that can be found in each county, so you can always have a knitty stop-off on your travels. To find more shops in this part of the UK, check out our brilliant map at www.letsknit.co.uk
and notions. There are regular knitting and crochet workshops and an SOS Clinic is held on Saturday mornings so stop by to find the answers to your knitting questions. 0121 628 3977, www.cityknits.co.uk
Christine’s Wool Shop, Bournville This family-run business has been trading for almost 40 years and the years of experience means the staff are in the perfect position to offer guidance and advice as you shop. There’s a wide range of yarns suitable for beginners and fibre fans, as well as inspirational patterns, needles
43 www.letsknit.co.uk
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EASY KNIT SOCKS
EXCLUSIVE TO
Sparkling Seas
Treat your feet with Jane Burns’ ocean-inspired socks Colourful socks are a great way to jazz up a simple outfit and these ones have a metallic thread running throughout to give a brilliant sparkly finish. They are knitted in a wave pattern which is achieved by dropping yarn forwards. It’s a really easy yet effective technique but if you’ve not tried it before, you may want to do a practice swatch first.
Perfect project for this stunning yarn!
meet our
DESIGNER “This sock is designed to be loose around the leg, yet the cuff is knitted quite tightly which keeps the socks up to show the pattern at its best.” JANE BURNS
47 www.letsknit.co.uk
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TRY A NEW STITCH!
Nautical Adventure Set sail on a journey of stitch discovery with Lucinda Ganderton’s cosy homeware
EXCLUSIVE TO
When you get down to it, all knitting projects – no matter how big or small – are made from a simple combination of knit and purl stitches, and this gorgeous cushion is no exception! Whether you’re a beginner looking to build on your knitting knowledge or simply want to hone your lifelong skills, this is the perfect pattern for you. Make sure you read our note about how much yarn you need before you begin.
meet our
DESIGNER “All of the patterns are made using just knit and purl stitches, so it’s much less complicated to make than you might expect.” LUCINDA GANDERTON
59 www.letsknit.co.uk
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CHIC PONCHO SET
Folk Charm
EXCLUSIVE TO
Julie Ferguson’s poncho and hat channel autumn runway style
This stylish set uses a gorgeous rustic yarn highlighted with tweed flecks for added charm. The asymmetrical poncho shape is inspired by this season’s 70s trend seen in designer fashion autumn/winter collections. The pattern uses moss stitch, knits and purls on a slant to emphasise the chic shape. So whether you’re heading back to uni, strutting the streets of London or embracing brisk morning dog walks, this pattern will ensure that you exude new season style!
67 www.letsknit.co.uk
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QUICK KNITS FOR PETS
EXCLUSIVE TO
Feline Fun Your furry friends will adore Susie Johns’ cute cat toys! Knitting for pets is enjoying something of a purple patch with lots of books on the subject hitting the shelves. As cats don’t always enjoy playing dress up, opt for fun and colourful toys instead. Designer Susie is a true cat lover and has come up with a selection of easy makes. There are three sweet mice, a stripy ball and a fish on a fishing line, which will create hours of playtime with your pet.
Purr-fect novelty project!
77 www.letsknit.co.uk
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FLEO AN TU HDOI PG A DN AY GRREI B| BYEADR N C AS R
EXCLUSIVE TO
Woodland Explorer Nicola Valiji’s fox-inspired headband is perfect for playful teens The chilly mornings are on their way and this fun accessory will be perfect for keeping your teen’s ears toasty and putting a smile on their face at the same time. Using a super-value aran
Top from a selection at H&M
yarn, you can knit this in a weekend for a price that won’t damage the pocket money funds. The intarsia colourwork method is used on the white panel - remember not to pull your stitches too tightly or your fox’s face will pucker! Pick up everything you need from your local yarn shop - call 01535 609798, or visit www.stylecraft-yarns. co.uk to find a stockist in your area.
meet our
DESIGNER “This headband is a fun ear warmer for those chilly autumn days.” NICOLA VALIJI
81 www.letsknit.co.uk
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CROCHET HOME STYLE
EXCLUSIVE TO
Moroccan Jewel Try different crochet motifs in Sarah Hazell’s cosy cushion Granny squares are such an iconic design and there are so many motifs to have a go at! This
A new twist on Granny squares!
cushion uses the traditional shape on the reverse side, with circles and stripes on the front which creates a patchwork of colourful panels. Sarah Hazell is known for her brilliant colour combinations and these shades remind us of a north African adventure!
meet our
DESIGNER “It is useful to identify the first stitch of some rounds with a lockable stitch marker as this makes joining to the correct stitch easier.” SARAH HAZELL
85 www.letsknit.co.uk
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